adeq approaches to the assessment methodology · • data sets containing

ADEQ Approaches to the

Assessment Methodology

NPS Annual Stakeholder Meeting

September 27, 2017

Overview

• Process of assessing Waters of the State

• State of the Waters

• Public Participation opportunities

Clean Water Act RequirementsAdopt Water Quality

Standards

Monitor Waters of the State

Assessment

List Impaired Waters

303(d) List

Develop TMDLs

Defines Water Quality goals

40 CFR 130.3 and 131

Data collection based on

need

40 CFR 130.4

Develop Permit Limits

Determines attainment

40 CFR 130.8

Identifies Quality Limited Waters

40 CFR 130.7(b)(1)

Defines Waste Loads

40 CFR 130.7

Implementation

40 CFR Part 122

30

5(b

) In

teg

rate

d

Re

po

rt

Designated Uses

Primary Contact Recreation

Aquatic Life

Domestic

Water Supply

Industrial Water Supply

Secondary Contact

Recreation

Water Quality Criteria

Ecoregions Temp (°C) Turbidity

Base All

Ozark Highlands 29 10 17

Boston Mountains 31 10 19

Arkansas River Valley 31 21 40

Ouachita Mountains 30 10 18

Gulf Coastal Plain

Typical

Springwater-influenced

30

30

21

21

32

32

Mississippi Alluvial Plain

Least Altered

Channel Altered

30

32

45

75

84

250

Ecoregion Based

Clean Water Act RequirementsAdopt Water Quality

Standards

Monitor Waters of the State

Assessment

List Impaired Waters

303(d) List

Develop TMDLs

Defines Water Quality goals

40 CFR 130.3 and 131

Data collection based on

need 40 CFR 130.4

Develop Permit Limits

Determines attainment

40 CFR 130.8

Identifies Quality Limited Waters

40 CFR 130.7(b)(1)

Defines Waste Loads

40 CFR 130.7

Implementation

40 CFR Part 122

30

5(b

) In

teg

rate

d

Re

po

rt

What is the

Assessment Methodology?

• Every two years ADEQ must assess the waters of the State to determine if they are:

– supporting designated uses

– attaining water quality criteria

• The Assessment Methodology contains procedures for this assessment

Photo: Jack Bissell

What is the

Assessment Methodology?

• Prepared by ADEQ staff

• Must be consistent with Reg. 2

• Must be scientifically based

• Assessment outcomes determine:

– Attainment

– Non-Attainment

Water Quality Assessment

Ecoregions Temp (°C)

Ozark Highlands 29

Boston Mountains 31

Arkansas River Valley 31

Ouachita Mountains 30

Gulf Coastal Plain

Typical

Springwater-influenced

30

30

Mississippi Alluvial Plain

Least Altered

Channel Altered

30

32

Water Quality Standard

+


= Water Quality Standard Attainment

Decision

Phase I and II Data Quality

Requirements

• QA/QC equivalent to ADEQ or USGS

• Analysis must be from State certified lab

• Reported in standard units

• Characteristic of the main water body

• Collected within the period of record

• Phase II requirements are specific to each

parameter

Assessment Example

Turbidity (NTU)

2011 7.2 6.2 5.1 32 29 91 14 17 19 31 17 12 10 9.1

2012 10 8.0 10 8.2 16 18 7.4 7.7 7.2 32 20 16 13 9.2 9.8 11 10 7.8

4.6 4.3 44 5.8 16 4.1 4.4 5.1 5.5 4.1 11 12 17 5.9 11 15 39 32

164 34 20 130 28 14 8.4 50 23 12 5.5 24

2013 4.9 83 55 27 19 11 8.0 21 11 10 7.2 5.7 5.0 4.6 16 7.7 7.5 10

6.9 8.8 8.5 16 10 5.8 4.1

ANRC Data for West Fork Point Remove Creek

AR River Valley Turbidity Standard # Impairments

Base Flows (21 NTU)* 11/32 (34.4%)

All Flows (40 NTU) 7/89 (7.8%)

The 2014 Assessment Methodology allows a 20% exceedance of the total

base flow values and a 25% exceedance of the total all flow values.

*Base flow occurs between June 1 and October 31; all flows represent the

entire calendar

year.

Assessment Example

ANRC Data for West Fork Point Remove Creek

Assessment Example

ANRC & ADEQ Data for West Fork Point

Remove Creek RiverTurbidity (NTU)

ANRC

2011 7.2 6.2 5.1 32.6 29.4 90.6

2012 44.0 5.8 15.7 4.1 4.4 5.1 5.5 4.1 10.7 12.2 17.4 5.9 10.5 15.3 38.7 143.0 38.3 32.3 24.3 164.0 33.6 19.6

2013 15.9 10.3 5.8 4.1

ADEQ 2012 8.10 7.95 14.8 10.0

AR River Valley Turbidity Standard: Base Flows (21 NTU)*

The 2014 Assessment Methodology allows a 20% exceedance of

the total base flow values and a 25% exceedance of the total

all flow values. *Base flow occurs between June 1 and October 31; all flows represent the entire

calendar year.Data Sources # Impairments

ANRC 11/32 (34.38%)

ANRC & ADEQ 11/36 (30.56%)

Assessment ExampleANRC & ADEQ Data for West Fork Point

Remove Creek

The Stakeholder Process

Identify Stakeholders

Gather Input

Discuss Input

Make Recommendations

Revisions in current AM Draft

• Methodology for continuous DO, pH

and temperature measurement

• Use of binomial method to reduce the

probability of error in decision making

• Clarification of data quality

expectations and others

Timeline for Revision

• Public Listening Session Oct 11, 2016

• Input Period Closes Oct 31, 2016

• Provide Summary of Input Nov 2016

• Stakeholder Workgroup Dec-July 2017

• Provide Summary of Input July 2017

• Public Notice 2017

• Response to Comments 2017

• Finalize Methodology 2017

98

49

98

37

98

30

96

47

10

01

8

9400

9500

9600

9700

9800

9900

10000

10100

Assessed Miles

2008

2010

2012

2014

2016

2016 Miles Assessed

2016 Designated Use Support &

Water Quality Standards Attainment

59 62

63

68

68

41

38

37

32

32

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Supporting % Not Supporting %

2008

2010

2012

2014

2016

New Listings for 2016

72 Pollutant Pairs

– Minerals - Cl, SO4, TDS (19)

– Turbidity (3)

– Dissolved Oxygen (26)

– Metals - Cu, Pb, Zn, Se (13)

– Temperature (3)

– Pathogens (1)

– pH (7)

De-Listings for 2016

98 Pollutant Pairs

– Minerals - Cl, SO4, TDS (31)

– Metals - Cu, Pb, Zn (27)

– Turbidity (20)

– pH (8)

– Dissolved Oxygen (4)

– Temperature (8)

– Pathogens (0)

Deferred Action-Streams• Bayou Bartholomew

• Bayou DesArc

• Bayou Deview

• Cache River

• Cossatot River

• Cypress Creek

• Huckleberry Creek

• Hurricane Creek

• S. Fork Little Red

• Maumelle River

• Ouachita River

• White River

• White Oak Bayou

• W. Pt. Remove

• W. Fork White

• Unnamed Tribs.

• Spring River

• S. Fork Spring

• Saline River

• Red River

• North & Middle Saline

• Yount Creek

Deferred Action - Lakes

• Dierks Lake

• Gilham Lake

• Lake Austelle

• Lake Catherine

• Poinsett Lake

• Lake Cox Creek

• Lake DeQueen

• Lake Ouachita

Public Participation

Opportunities

• 2018 Assessment Methodology– Comment on Final Draft

• Regulation No. 2 Triennial Review– Stakeholder Group to begin in 2017

• Continuous Planning Process– Stakeholder Group to begin in 2018


• ADEQ solicits water quality data from state and federal agencies, universities, and other entities.

– Data must meet or exceed ADEQ’s or USGS’ QA/QC protocols.

• ADEQ assembles and evaluates all existing and readily available data.

– Data that does not meet QA/QC protocols will not be used to determine water quality standards attainment; however, these data may be used as a screening tool to determine whether additional monitoring is warranted.

• Data sets containing <10 data points will be used as a screening sample.

– Segments with <10 data points and 2 or more exceedances will warrant additional monitoring and may be placed in Category 3 for further investigation.

• Samples sizes of 10 data points or greater will be used to make water quality standard attainment decisions; appropriate exceedance rates apply.

Water Quality Standards

• In Arkansas, water quality standards were

developed using data from least-disturbed streams

within each of the State’s six (6) ecoregions

• The data used for standards development were

collected during an intensive, statewide study of the

physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of

least-disturbed streams (1983-1986)

Ecoregion Based

Water Quality StandardsBiological and water quality standards include criteria

designed to prevent impairment of water quality data

collected throughout the state are utilized to create

water quality standards for the state’s surface waters.

– the designated uses.

These criteria serve as

the regulatory basis

for water quality-

based treatment

controls under Section

303(e) of the Clean

Water Act

Water

Quality

Data

Assessment

Methodology

Impaired –

303(d) List

Not

Impaired

Assessment Process


Assessment Criteria Exceedance Rates

Temperature (°C) >10%

Turbidity Base Flows

>20%*

All Flows >25%

pH not below 6.0 or above 9.0 s.u.

Dissolved Oxygen >10%

Toxic Substances >1 exceedance of the criterion


*Base flow values represent the critical season, June 1 to

October 31.

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